anemone

noun anem·o·ne \ ə-ˈne-mə-nē \

Updated on: 6 Apr 2018

Definition of anemone

1 : any of a large genus (Anemone) of perennial herbs of the buttercup family having lobed or divided leaves and showy flowers without petals but with conspicuous sepals — called also windflower

2 : sea anemone

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See anemone defined for kids

Recent Examples of anemone from the Web

Watching that live footage, researchers in the South Pacific aboard the Petrel, a 250-foot exploration vessel, were able to discern the stern of a sunken ship, blooming with translucent anemones.

— jacey fortin, BostonGlobe.com, "Wreck of the Juneau Is Found, 76 Years After 5 Brothers Perished," 22 Mar. 2018
Watching that live footage, researchers in the South Pacific aboard the Petrel, a 250-foot exploration vessel, were able to discern the stern of a sunken ship, blooming with translucent anemones.

— jacey fortin, New York Times, "Wreck of the Juneau Is Found, 76 Years After 5 Brothers Perished," 22 Mar. 2018
After maturing for 11 to 14 days, the juvenile is ready to swim back to the reef and select an anemone to call home.

— danielle l. dixson, Scientific American, "Increasingly Acidic Oceans Are Causing Fish to Behave Badly," 23 June 2017
Valentine’s Day selections include the Darcy (pictured), featuring anemones, pink spray roses and lemon leaf, and the Truly, Madly, Deeply, with red lotus roses and parrot tulips.

— carolyne zinko, San Francisco Chronicle, "Style Radar: Sweet sensations," 8 Feb. 2018
May Known territory: South African coast Physical characteristics: Green eyes; living shell composed of anemones held together by sand Notable skills/traits: EVASION/CAMOUFLAGE: P. atkinsonae wasn’t spotted until 2012.

— sylvia morrow, Discover Magazine, "Species Exposed!," 1 Feb. 2018
The Ucluelet Aquarium is also something of a community effort: Bartenders made the boardwalk that leads through green and purple anemones, pale jellyfish, and multicolored rockfish swimming in pure, untreated seawater pumped in from the harbor.

— Sunset, "An Epic Adventure on B.C.’s Vancouver Island," 22 Jan. 2018
Suggested flowers and elements include quince, ranunculus, anemones and other delicate blooms that flourish this time of year.

— jessica ritz, latimes.com, "This is how 4 L.A. florists put an edgy twist on the boring Valentine's Day bouquet," 9 Feb. 2018
Related to anemones, these tiny, soft-bodied animals can gather together in the thousands.

— tristan baurick, NOLA.com, "Oil spills are bad, but dispersants are worse for deep-sea coral," 11 Jan. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'anemone.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of anemone

Latin, from Greek anemōnē

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1548

See Words from the same year

Other Invertebrates (Except Insects) Terms

cephalopod, quahog

ANEMONE Defined for English Language Learners

anemone

noun

Definition of anemone for English Language Learners

: a type of garden plant that has white, purple, or red flowers

ANEMONE Defined for Kids

anemone

noun anem·o·ne \ ə-ˈne-mə-nē \

Definition of anemone for Students

1 : a plant that blooms in spring and is often grown for its large white or colored flowers

2 : sea anemone

Medical Dictionary

anemone

noun anem·o·ne \ ə-ˈnem-ə-nē \

medical Definition of anemone

1 capitalized : a genus of herbs of the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae) widely distributed in temperate and subarctic regions that have lobed or divided leaves and showy flowers and that include some (as a pasqueflower) used medicinally especially formerly

2 : a plant or flower of the genus Anemone